'A revolution': Crown says accused in Coutts murder-conspiracy trial prepared for war

A truck convoy of anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators continue to block the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

In a heated courtroom exchange, a man accused of conspiring to murder police at the 2022 Coutts, Alta., blockade rejected accusations he and others brought weapons and body armour to the barricade to start a war.

“Coutts to you was going to be a launchpad for a revolution," prosecutor Steven Johnston said to Chris Carbert in Court of King’s Bench in Lethbridge Wednesday.

"A revolution? No," said Carbert.

"And you and your friends believed that if the police came in and tried to enforce the law at Coutts to disable the blockade and take it down that you and your friends were prepared to use violence to repel the police.”

"I disagree," Carbert replied, adding, "Three people against hundreds of police doesn't make sense."

Johnston pressed: "You believed that the blockade was effectively the war and that the fight was on. You and your friends believed that the RCMP, as they were present down in Coutts, represented the devil.”

Carbert: "That never came out of my mouth, no."

Johnston: "That they were the enemy.”

Carbert: "I definitely said that. I can't deny that."

Johnston continued: "You believed that the Coutts blockade was effectively a standoff to the final stand for you and your group of friends, to stand up for what you believed were your freedoms, and that you were prepared to get body armour and armour yourselves up and be ready to have a conflict with the police."

In earlier testimony Carbert referred to police as “kind of heroes in western culture.”

Johnston challenged Carbert on that, pointing to a series of text messages in which Carbert referred to police as "losers" and “the enemy.”

"These are the cops that you called heroes,” said Johnston. “I'm going to suggest to you, Mr. Carbert, you didn't think they were the heroes. You thought they were, as you wrote, the enemy.”

Carbert shot back, "I disagree with you wholeheartedly. They are my words (but) they're reactionary.”

Carbert and Anthony Olienick are on trial together before a jury.

They are accused of conspiring to commit murder at the blockade, which tied up traffic for two weeks at the busy Alberta-U.S. border crossing to protest COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates.

Text messages from other protesters read out in court indicated many were ready to make a last stand at the blockade. But after police made arrests and seized weapons, the remaining demonstrators packed up and left peacefully.

Carbert has previously testified he brought guns and body armour to the blockade but said there was no plan for violence unless he had to perhaps flee to the mountains and fend off someone trying to give him a COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Olienick did not take the stand in his own defence.

Court has heard Olienick considered the blockade the fight of a lifetime against a government bent on ending individual freedoms.

Undercover officers have quoted Olienick telling them he considered police the pawns of “devil” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and that if police stormed the blockade he would “slit their throats.”

The defence wrapped up its case Wednesday. The trial resumes next week.

Final arguments are set for Tuesday and the charge to the jury is scheduled for Wednesday.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 24, 2024.